Then came her finals battle with jet dragster veteran Elaine Larsen, who reminded everyone why she was last year’s IHRA World Champion when she raced to victory at more than two tenths of a second ahead of Holbrook.

Still, it was Holbrook’s first runner-up finish in her inaugural Nitro Jam season, and another sign of her growing comfort in the cockpit of her 5,500-horsepower vehicle.

Shea Holbrook

“Our goal has been to make improvements every time we hit the track, and this weekend we experienced our first major success as we made it to the finals,” she said.

“To have your hard work pay off is incredibly gratifying. We hope to funnel momentum from Bradenton into the next race at Palm Beach International Raceway with our FIT family beside us.”

Larsen, who won the first round of eliminations when opponent Marisha Falk fouled on the starting line, said she is pleased with Holbrook’s progress.

Elaine Larsen

“I am like a proud mama. Just seeing where Shea is today and how far she has come in just a short time is amazing,” Larsen said.

“This girl is the real deal and her focus is something that I will never take lightly when we compete. I might have gotten her on this one, but it won’t be long before Shea is bringing home the victory for the Florida Institute of Technology jet racing team.”

The results also speak to the high level of work from the Florida Tech Jet Dragster crew chief Justin Elliot, who was assisted by Florida Tech aerospace engineering student Zach Castello.